Refrigerator shelving



Feb. 28, 1961 Filed Aug. 18, 1958 R. B. HICKS ETAL REFRIGERATOR SHELVING 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 THEIR A URN Y Feb. 28, 1961 R. B. HlcKs ET AL 2,973,236

REFRIGERATOR SHELVING Filed Aug. 18, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 7l JZ 6 1NVENTORS Robe/y l Hicks [dw/21 0. mm

THEIR A 0R Y Feb. 28, 1961 R. B. HlcKs ETAL 2,973,236

REFRIGERATOR SHELVING Filed Aug. 18, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 THEIR A TOR EY REFRIGERATOR SHELVING Robert B. Hicks, Oak Park, and Edwin 0. Grahn, Birmingham, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 18, 1958, Ser. No. 755,605

4 Claims. (Cl. 2512-319) This invention relates to refrigerator cabinets and particularly to shelf arrangements therein.

It has, in the past, been customary in the refrigerator cabinet art wherein sliding, rotating or swinging shelves have been employed in the food storage compartment or chamber of a cabinet to make the upright throat or door jamb portion on each side thereof substantially ush with the inner wall or liner of the food compartment so as to avoid the creation of blind, obscure or inaccessible spaces or portions in the compartment behind the front of the cabinet. This custom has in addition to substantially standardizing or limiting refrigerator cabinet designs also somewhat restricted or complicated installations of refrigerator cabinets particularly in preselected coves or cavities among kitchen cupboards or in kitchen walls because of the eXtra space required at a side of a refrigerator to swing a door thereof fully open. We therefore con-V template the provision of a refrigerator cabinet which will permit a door or doors thereon to be opened 90 or more relative to the front of the cabinet even when the cabinet is installed in a wall corner with the hinged side of the door adjacent one wall of the corner and food supporting shelf arrangements Iwithin the food storage compartment of such a diversified refrigerator that occupies and renders food products located in blind or obscured portions or spaces of the compartment readily accessible.

An object of our invention is to provide novel and improved shelf arrangements in a food storage compartment of a refrigerator cabinet wherein the compartment has a stationary wall bounding a particular horizontal cross sectional shape or storage contour.

Another object of our invention is to improve shelf arrangements within a compartment of a refrigerator cabinet for increasing the accessibility of food products stored therein and supported on shelves or other food storing devices to render the food products readily available at the front of the compartment.

A further object of our invention is to provide a portable rectilinearly shaped household refrigerator cabinet member having a door member thereon and a partial front wall with a shelf in the food storage compartment carried by one ofthe members which shelf has an end occupying the space or portion in back of the partial front wall, while the door member is closed, and which shelf end is swingable outwardly of the compartment into the vicinity of its access opening.

A still further and more specific object of our invention is toprovide in a food storage compartment of a refrigerator cabinet having a partial front wall a sectional complementary food supporting shelf arrangement wherein one of the shelves carried by the compartment door is longer than the width of the door so as to project beyond the hinged side of the door into that portion of the compartment in back of its partial front wall in which arrangement one shelf section thereof normally maintains another movable shelf section within the rear part of the food compartment and to also render both shelf sections readily accessible at or adjacent the food compartment opening.

ICC

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein preferred forms of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front View of a household refrigerator cabinet having our improved shelf arrangements incorporated therein;

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing one form of shelf arrangement within the food storage compartment of the refrigerator cabinet;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the shelf sections of the shelf arrangement disclosed therein shifted relative to one another;

Figure 4 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3 showing a shelf section carried by the refrigerator cabinet door member disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane with another shelf section within the food storage compartment of 'the refrigerator cabinet member; Y

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 showing a modified form of shelf arrangement within the food compartment of the refrigerator cabinet; 1

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing the shelf sections of the shelf arrangement disclosed therein shifted relative to one another;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 7 7 of Figure 5 illustrating a pivotal mounting of one of the shelf sections disclosed therein;

Figure 8 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow -in Figure 6 showing shelves on the inner face of the refrigerator cabinet door one of whichis `disposed in the same horizontal plane with the shelf section disclosed i Figure 7; Y

Figure 9 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line 9 9 of Figurefl showing a combined shelf and food storing device within the food compartment of the refrigerator cabinet;

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 showing table device disclosed therein shifted outwardly of the refrigerator cabinet through the access opening of its food storage compartment;

Figure 11 is a view taken in the `direction of the arrow in Figure l0 showing the combined shelf and food storing device on a food compartment door;

Figure 12 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line 12-12 of Figure 1 showing a still further modified form of shelf arrangement within the food compartment of the refrigerator cabinet;

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure l2 showing the basket-like shelf arrangement disclosed therein shifted outwardly of the refrigerator cabinet; and

' Figure 14 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow in Figure 13 showing the basket-like shelf on a door of the food compartment.

Referring to the drawings, for illustrating our invention, we show in Figure l thereof a household refrigerator cabinet member 10 having walls defining the top 1'1, bottom 12, back 13 (see Figure 2), opposed sides 14 and 15 and a front or partial front 16 of a food storage chamber or compartment 17 within the cabinet. These walls are, usually in the refrigerator cabinet art, formed by a metal liner and outer metal shells or panels having insulating material disposed therebetween but such walls are illustrated in the present disclosure by single lines for sake of simplicity since they are now conventional. The walls are polygonally arranged, as distinguished from a circular or the like walled refrigerator, to provide a rectangular compartment which is best suited for maximum food storage space and wherein our invention is particularly adaptable. In other words the refrigerator cabinet '10 is rectilinearly shaped and has a diversified design appearance as compared to conventional refrigerator cabinets. The Yfront or partial front wall 16 ,extends a .substantial distance from one side wall only of the cabinet member toward its opposite side wal-l 14 and has an edge terminating'in spaced relation to or terminated short of opposed side wall 14. The terminated edge of wall 16 provides an off-set access opening for the food storage compartment 17 in the front of cabinet member 10 and also provides a door jamb thereon. ln the present disclosure cabinet 10 is provided with a plurality of access openings and door jambs each of which openings has a separate insulated door member or structure 21, 22, 23 and 24 respectively hingedly mounted, by hinges 2S, upon the cabinet at the door jamb or terminated edge of partial front wall 16. Any suitable or conventional latch or the like mechanism may be employed to hold or latch the door members closed. Varied food supporting shelf arrangements may be used in the food storage compartment 17 of cabinet member 10 opposite each of the door members 21, 22, 23 and 24 for the storage of different types of foods or packaged food-s. The interior of compartment 17 of cabinet member 10 may be refrigerated or cooled in any suitable manner by refrigerant evaporating means of a closed refrigerating system ordinarily associated with the cabinet. For example such refrigerant evaporating means may be in the form of an evaporator located in compartment 17 adjacent a curved or rounded part of some of the shelf arrangements therein or it may be in the form of a conduit wrapped or coiled about compartment 17 and secured to the liner or walls of this compartment. The door members each have a resilient gasket 26 thereon adapted to sealingly engage the terminated door jamb edge of wall 16, door iamb edge of wall 14 and edges of horizontally extending mullions or door jambs 27 intermediate each door Z1, 22, 23 and 24. kFront wall or partial front wall 16 of cabinet member 10 forms an obstruction in front of a blind or obscured portion of compartment 17, created by wall 16, access to which fromv exteriorly of the cabinet is ordinarily difficult and therefore this portion of the compartment is too frequently not used for the storage of foods. It is according to our invention a primary purpose of the present disclosure to provide novel and unique vertically spaced apart shelf arrangements within food Storage compartment 17 of refrigerator cabinet member 10 opposite and associated with the door members 21, 22, 23 and 24 which arrangements each include a shelf part or end occupying that portion of compartment 17 immediately adjacent or in back of the partial front wall 16 for supporting foods thereat and for rendering the foods readily accessible at the front of cabinet member 10 when one of the door members is opened.

In Figure 2 of the drawings we show a shelf arrangement within compartment 17 which includes two vertically spaced apart shelves or shelf sections generally indicated at 31 (see Figure 4) securely mounted on the inner face of uppermost door member 21 in any suitable or desirable manner so as to be swingable or rotatable therewith and a shelf or shelf section generally indicated at 32 movably mounted in compartment 117. These shelves or sheif sections 31 and 32 may be constructed of any suitable material and as herein disclosed the shelves 31, carried by door member 21, comprise an upstanding metal bounding guard or confining rail or rim 33 having the ends of a plurality of spaced apart wires 34 secured thereto at the lower edge thereof. Shelf 32 comprises a bounding rim or wire 36 and a pluraiity of spaced apart wires 37 having their ends welded or otherwise suitably secured thereto. Movable shelf or shelf section 32 is mounted in compartment 17 by having its ends slidably supported upon horizontal channel irons or the like 38 secured to opposed upright side walls 14 and 15 of the cabinet member 16. In this disclosure it is to be e noted that the lowermost shelf 31 carried by door member 21 is located in substantially the same horizontal plane with the slidable shelf 32 (see Figure 4) so as to be complementary thereto in providing sections of a shelf arrangement which occupies a major portion of a horizontal area of compartment 17. Shelf section 32 is preferably biased in a direction toward the front of cabinet 1h so as to normally engage or abut rim 33 of shelf section 31 as shown in Figure 2. The biasing means for shelf section 32 may, insofar as our invention is concerned, be of any suitable or desirable type or construction and is herein schematically disclosed, for illustrative purposes, as comprising a pair of spaced apart springs 41 fitted or anchored in sockets or the like at back wall 13 of cabinet member 1t) and bearing against the rear part of rim 36 on shelf section 32. While door member 21 is closed the lowermost shelf section 31 thereon engages shelf section 32 and compresses the springs 41 in holding or maintaining shelf 32 within the rear part of compartment 17 as shown in Figure 2. It is to be noted that the ends of shelf section 31 are curved or rounded and more important that this shelf section is longer than the width of door member 21 with an end 42 of the shelf section 31 overlapping the hinged side of the door and disposed in or occupying that portion of compartment 17 immediately adjacent or in back of partial front wall 16 when the door member is closed. Upon swinging door 21 open a shelf 31 is moved out of compartment 17 with its end 42 rotated into a position in the vicinity of the access opening of the compartment (see Figure 3) so as to be readily accessible at the front of cabinet 10. In so swinging door member 21 and rotating end 42 of the lowermost shelf section 32 outwardly of compartment 17 the compressed springs 41 force shelf section 32 to slide forwardly within compartment 17 for positioning same in the front part thereof whereby food products supported thereon are more readily accessible at the front of cabinet member 10. rlhe forward sliding movement of shelf section 32 is stopped by its engagement with the partial front wall 16. When door member 21 is swung shut, to close the opening of compartment 17, about its hinged mounting 25 the rim 33 on end 42 of the lower shelf section 31 engages and serves as a cam means for pushing or shifting slidable shelf section 32 back into the rear part of compartment 17 against the action of springs 41. In this shelf arrangement we, in addition to providing a part of a shelf section which normally occupies the obscured portion of compartment 17in back of wall 16 and is movable therefrom outwardly of the compartment also provide, when such movement occurs, for the automatic shifting of shelf section 32 forwardly within this compartment whereby food products supported on each shelf section are readily accessible at the front of compartment 17 for removal from the refrigerator cabinet. Referring now to Figure 5 of the drawings we disclose a modified form of a food supporting shelf arrangement within compartment 17 of cabinet member 10. In the shelf arrangement shown in Figures 5-8 inclusive there is a shelf or shelf section generally indicated at 46 comprising an upright metal bounding guard rail or rim 47 having food supporting wires 48 secured to the bottom portion thereof and which includes an offset end part 49 occupying the blind or obscured portion of compartment 17 in back of partial front wall 16 of the cabinet member 10. Shelf section 46 is provided with curved portions to permit its rotation part way out of compartment 17 and has a metal supporting bracket 51 welded or otherwise rigidly secured to opposite sides of the rim 47 of shelf 46 and to one edge of part 49 thereof. This bracket 51 has an upstanding portion which forms a part of a pianolike hinge 52 (see Figure 7) secured to the terminated edge of partial front wall 16 of cabinet member 10 whereby the shelf section 46 is pivotally mounted on and rotatably carried by the cabinet member. The shelf arrangement shown in Figure 5 also includes two vertically spaced apart shelves or shelf sections generally indicated at 54 mounted on and carried by door member 22 in any suitable or desirable manner and swingable therewith (see Figures 6 and 8). Each shelf section 54 comprises an upright metal guard rail or bounding rim S6 having a plurality of food supporting wires 57 secured to the lower part thereof. In this arrangement we utilize the part 49 of shelf section 46 for supporting food products within a somewhat inaccessible portion of compartment 17 and for moving these products into the vicinity of the compartment access opening where they are made readily accessible at the front of cabinet member y141. The lowermost shelf section 54 on door member 22 is located in substantially the same horizontal plane with shelf section 46 in compartment 17 so as to be complementary thereto for providing a shelf arrangement in the compartment which occupies a major portion of a horizontal cross sectional area thereof. When door member 22 is swung open the shelves or shelf sections 54 swing simultaneously therewith out of compartment 17 so that food products supported on these shelves are moved into a readily accessible position at the front of cabinet member 10. Upon so swinging door member 22 shelf section 46 remains within compartment 17 and food products supported thereon opposite the compartment access opening are easily accessible at the front of the compartment while food products supported on shelf part 49 are not so easily accessible. However and while door member 22 is open shelf section 46 `can be swung or rotated part way out of compartment 17 about its pivotal mounting, hinge 52, to locate shelf part or end 49 in the vicinity of the compartment access opening to bring food products supported thereon into clear view and into a position at the front of cabinet member 10 where they are readily accessible for removal therefrom. It should be noted that in this shelf arrangement a part of a shelf section within compartment 17 and carried by one of the members, 10 or 22, of the refrigerator normally occupies that obscured or inaccessible portion of the compartment immediately behind the partial front wall 16 and that food products at this rather inaccessible location may be brought into an easily accessible position. The disposition of the lower shelf 54 o'n door member 22 in the same horizontal plane with shelf section 46, as disclosed in the shelf arrangement shown in Figures 2-4 inclusive, permits shelf 54 to strike shelf 46, when same is rotated out of compartment 17, upon swinging door 22 into closed position whereby to automatically cam shelf section 46 back into the food storage compartment without necessitating a separate manual operation to so return this shelf section.

In Figures 9, 10 -and 1l of the drawings we disclose a further modification of a shelf arrangement within the food storage compartment of our diversified form of refrigerator. In this arrangement a food storing device is'rnounted on and secured'in any suitable or`desirable manner to the inner face of door member 23 so that the entire device is swingable therewith at least part way out of storage compartment 17. The food storing device on door member 23 comprises a substantially closed section 61 formed by suitable walls including a sliding hydrator or the like vegetable storage drawer 62, a compartmented section 63 thereabove providing open top compartments 64 and a rounded or curved shelf section or portion 65. Walls forming the closed section 61 of the food storing device support the drawer 62 therein and also the open top compartmented section 63 thereupon. Drawer 62 is slidable outwardly of section 61 in a right angle direction with respect to the inner face of door member 23 when the door is opened for shifting the device thereon part way out of compartment 17 or cabinet member 10. It is to be noted that the food storing device on door member 23 is longer than the width of the door and that a part of the closed section 61 as well as a part of the compartmented section 63 thereabove extends beyond or overlaps the hinge side of door 23. These parts of the storing device are disposed in or occupy, while door member 23 is closed, that portion within food compartment 17 in back of the partial front wall 16 of cabinet member 10. When door member 23 is swung open slightly more than relative to the front of cabinet member 10 (see Figure 10) the open top compartments 64 of the compartmented section 63 and shelf 65 of the food storing device are readily accessible at the front of the cabinet and the drawer 62 is slidable out of section 6d without interference by walls of the cabinet.

ln Figure l2 of the drawings we show a still further modified form of a shelf arrangement within the food compartment 17 of cabinet member 10. In this arrangement a basket-like food storing shelf generally indicated by the reference numeral 66 is mounted on the inner face of door member 24 in any suitable or desirable manner and carried thereby so as to be swingable therewith relative to cabinet member 10. Basket-like shelf 66 comprises a lower metal rim 67 (see Figure 14) to which ends of a plurality of spaced apart horizontal food supporting cross wires 68 are secured and an upper metal rim 69. A plurality of spaced vertical wires 71 extend between the lower and upper rims 67 and 69 of basket 66 and have their ends rigidly secured to these rims. Upper metal rim 69 is provided with an integral inwardly directed ledge or track portion 72 (see Figures 12 and 14) therearound which supports one or more molded plastic or the like compartment forming containers 73 having their top edges flanged outwardly and slidably resting on the opposed ledges or tracks 72 of the basket 66. The container 73 is not as deep as the basket 66 so that food products supported on the bottom wires 68 thereof will not interfere with sliding a container along the track 72. Here again it is to be noted that basket shelf 66 is longer than the width of door member 24 and has its one end 76 overlapping or extending beyond the hinge side of the door so as to occupy the blind or obscured portion of compartment 17 in back of partial front wall 16 while door 24 is closed. When door member 24 is swung open the food content of basket shelf 66 and food products in the end part 76 thereof are readily accessible at the front of cabinet member 1t) (see Figure 13). When door member 24 is open the container 73, slidably carried by basket 66, may be slid therealong upon the tracks 72 from the full line showing thereof in Figure 13 into the dot-dashed line showing thereof in this figure to render food products stored therebelow in the basket accessible for removal therefrom.

It should, in view of the foregoing, be apparent that we have provided a unique and diversified refrigerator cabinet construction and more particularly novel and improved food supporting shelf arrangements for the refrigerated food storage compartment of the refrigerator.

Our improved shelf arrangements provide for maximum,

food supporting and storage space within a refrigerator cabinet of the type exemplified in the accompanying drawings and increases the accessibility of foods on the shelves. Our invention specifically permits foods to be stored on a part of a shelf located in an obstructed or rather inaccessible position behind a cabinet partial front wall and also renders the foods stored in such position quickly and easily movable or shiftable into a location which is Y readily accessible at the front of a refrigerator cabinet.

ln the sectional shelf arrangements disclosed the shelf section carried on the door member engages and cams the shelf section carried by the cabinet member and normally disposed in the food compartment thereof back thereinto from a moved part way out of the cabinet position so as to eliminate the necessity of separately operating the sections upon closing the door whereby the shelf sections will not be damaged by a cabinet door closing movement. The improved shelf arrangements and the ready -accessibility of all portions of the shelves, shelf sections and/ or food storing devices thereof innovates the construction Aof refrigerator cabinets which have an altogether different appearance as compared to conventional refrigerators.

While the forms of embodiment of theV invention yas herein disclosed constitute preferred forms, it is Ato be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination, a cabinet having walls defining the top, bottom, back, opposed sides and a partial front wall of a compartment therein, said partial front wall projecting away from one side wall of said cabinet toward its opposite side wall and terminating in spaced relation thereto providing an access opening for said compartment, a door hinged to said cabinet at the terminated edge of its partial front wall for closing the compartment access opening, a sectional support device within said compartment for storing articles therein above its bottom wall, said support device comprising a rst section and a second section disposed in the same horizontal plane with one another and co-operating so as to be complementary to each other for providing the device with supporting surfaces occupying substantially the entire cross sectional areas of said compartment, said rst section of said sectional support device being mounted on and swingable with said door outwardly of said compartment through its access opening and having an integral part thereof located behind and immediately adjacent said partial compartment front wall while the door is closed, cam means on said integral part of said rst section of said sectional support device adapted to engage said second section ythereof by movement of said door, 1 said second section of said device being in the rear portion of said compartment and mounted therein for sliding movement relative thereto in a straight line direction toward the forward portion thereof, means for biasing said slidable second section of the support device into abutment with said first section while said door is closed whereby to render the biasing means eifective to automatically slide the slidable section of said device into said compartment `forward portion in response to swinging said door open and shifting said part of the first section outwardly of :the compartment, and said cam means on said integral part of said first section of the sectional support device serving to return said slidable section thereof against the action of said biasing means back into said compartment rear portion upon swinging said door closed.

2. The combination deiined by ciaim 1 wherein the biasing means includes a pair of spaced-apart springs each anchored to the back wall of the compartment and bearing against the rear edge of the slidable support `section adjacent opposed sides thereof.

its opposite side wall and terminating in spaced relation thereto providing an access opening for said compart ment, a door hinged to said cabinet at the terminated edge of its partial front wall for closing the compartment access opening, a sectional ysupport device within said compartment for storing articles therein above its bottom wall, said support device comprising a first section and a second section disposed in the same horizontal plane with one another and cooperating so as to be complementary to each other for providing the device with supporting surfaces occupying substantially the entire cross sectional area olf said compartment, said first section of said sectional support device being mounted on and swingable with said door outwardly of said compartment through its access opening and having an integral ypart thereof located behind and immediately adjacent said partial compartment front wall while the door is closed, cam means on said integral part of said rst section of said sectional support device adapted to engage said second section thereof by movement of said door, said second section of said device being in the rear portion of said compartment and mounted therein for sliding movement relative thereto in a straight line direction toward the forward portion thereof, means for biasing said slidable second section of the support device into abutment with said rst section while said door is closed whereby to render the biasing means effective to automatically slide the slidable section of said device into said compartment forward portion in response to swinging said door open and shifting said part of the rst section outwardly of the compartment, said sections of said sectional support device being unconnected to one another and said second slidable section thereof being manually movable with respect to said iirst section while said door is open toward the rear portion of said compartment independently of movements of the door, and said cam means on said integral part of said iii-st section of the support device serving to return said slidable section thereof against the action of said biasing means back into said compartment rear portion upon swinging said door closed.

4. The combination dened by claim 3 wherein the biasing means includes a pair of spaced-apart springs anchored to the back wall of the compartment and bearing against the rear edge of the slidable support section adjacent opposed sides thereof,

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 397,984 Hess Feb. 19, 1889 1,228,560 Hunter lune 5, 1917 2,027,124 Stockstrom Jan. 7, 1936 2,518,242 McMahon Aug. 8, 1950 2,692,813 Toronto Oct. 26, 1954 2,761,751 Stockton Sept. 4, 1956 

